The notion that food dyes are a potential health problem is not new. While most are quick to blame sugar for causing hyperactivity, what if it wasn’t the sugar that is responsible, but rather the food coloring found in a host of foods products specifically marketed to kids?

Indeed, this is the position that the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), an independent health advocacy organization with offices in Ottawa and Washington, DC, has taken.

CSPI has expressed concern over the prevalence of food dyes in processed foods (see sidebar, “Forewarned is forearmed” for a list of possible culprits). Its position echoes well-known pediatrician Benjamin Feingold’s (1899 to 1982) views on the subject. In the 1970’s Feingold recommended a diet free of artificial food colorings or dyes and preservatives in treating the symptoms of hyperactivity.

There is sufficient evidence to have this lingering question revisited, according to the CSPI. On the other hand, food manufacturers—clearly with a vested interest— point to reviews their industry believes have confirmed the safety of food dyes.

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

CSPI cites studies such as a 2004 meta-analysis in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics which supports the hypothesis that artificial food dyes promote hyperactivity in children with hyperactivity disorders as measured by standardized behavioral rating scales.

More recently, a randomized placebo-controlled trial that appeared in the Lancet (November 2007), added further concern. In this study researchers in Southampton, England, found an increase in hyperactive behaviour in two different groups of children (one group aged three and the other aged eight or nine) after they consumed a test beverage with artificial food coloring and a common preservative, sodium benzoate.

Following the study’s publication, Britain’s Food Standards Agency issued an advisory to parents to limit their children’s intake of the additives used in the Southampton study if they notice an effect on behaviour.

REGULATIONS SLOW TO FOLLOW

In the US the CSPI petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2008, calling for a ban of the following eight synthetic food dyes or at least, as an interim measure, that foods containing synthetic food dyes be required to bear a warning notice.
•FD—C BlueNo.i •FD—C
•FD—C BlueNo.2 •FD—C
. FD—C Green No. 3 • FD—C
•Orange B •FD—C

Red. No. 3
Red. No.40
Yellow No. 5
Yellow No. 6

To date, the FDA has not acted on the CSPI’s petition. During public meetings on March 30 and 3]. of this year, an FDA advisory panel voted against recommending warning labels, concluding there is no solid proof that artificial food dyes cause hyperactivity. Though it was accepted that artificial food dyes may worsen hyperactivity in a small subset of susceptible children, it was decided that this did not warrant warnings across the board.

The European Parliament, however, has banned artificial coloring from foods intended for small children and infants and requires a warning label on all other products containing them. As of last July most foods in the European Union that contain artificial dyes are required to have a warning label stating that the food “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”

In Canada the regulatory machinery, like its American counterpart, has also been slow to respond. Health Canada’s Bureau of Chemical Safety opened a consultation process in February 2010, inviting opinions to its proposed regulatory amendments targeted at manufacturers who use colorings in their processed foods.

The proposed amendments “would eliminate the option of simply using the word ‘colour’ and require that individual colors be identified on food ingredient labels.” Though consultations are now closed, no regulatory amendments have yet been passed.

Despite this slow regulatory movement in North America against the use of artificial food dyes, it is still entirely possible to avoid their use. A healthy diet that is based on minimally processed, whole and organic foods will naturally eliminate this concern.

FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED

There are many types of foods that may contain food dyes, though if you stick to organic foods, you can be assured that no synthetic or chemical food dyes have been used. Here is a list of foods that, if not organic, may be culprits:

. flavoured gelatin
-a sport drinks
. flavoured beverage crystals (regular and low-calorie versions)
. candies
. popsicles
. salad dressings
. brightly colored breakfast cereals
. bottled fruit drinks
. dried fruit snacks (even those made with real fruit)
. chewing gum
. ice cream
. puddings
. soft drinks
. pickles
. ketchup
-yogurt
-jams and jelly
-cookies

We know better now: Nearly all the bio-chemical reactions that occur in body cells depend on water and electrolyte (sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, phosphorous, magnesium, etc.) balance. These balances are not only vital to maintaining life but also affect physical and mental performance.

Water is the most abundant component of the body (60% + by weight). I believe it was Mike Colgan of the Colgan Institute who referred to the body as a “Hairy protein bag full of water”. This bag of water has many holes which allow for leakage. These holes include skin pores which allow for perspiration (skin leakage) the kidney / bladder system which expels wastes carried by water and the respiratory system which must be moist or breathing would be very dry and painful. Adequate hydration is very important in the maintenance of body temperature. When muscles contract they generate heat which must be dissipated from the core to the body surface and adequate water to maintain adequate blood volume is vital.

Blood, kidney, heart and lungs are made of 80% or more water. Muscle, spleen, brain, intestines, & skin are 72 – 75% water. Even bones are 22% and fat tissue is 10% water. On a normal, moderate temperature, inactive day you would lose 1.5 liters (6 glasses) of water through kidney filtration (urine production) and another 0.750 – 1 liter (3 – 4 glasses) through the skin and respiration. So an average person needs 8 – 9 glasses per day just to replace average losses. It is true you get some of that from fruits, vegetable, other beverages and food..

1. Water the medium that delivers nutrients to cells and transport toxins out of tissues .
Most people know they SHOULD drink 8X8oz. of water/day, as recommended by the western medical system; this recommendation was started by the bottled water companies..therefore has no scientific basis… SHOULD is the keyword here, because in reality, most people are walking around in a state of DEHYDRATION.

*I see this everyday, day after day in my office, when I do the BodyScan-bio-feed-back energetic device I use regularly.

*the beauty of the human body is that it get used to a state of dehydration and adjusts by lowering it’s water requirements, therefore leading to chronic disease.

There is biological “formula” (mathematical and quite precise) regarding one’s necessary amount of water per day… My “rule of thumb” for water requirements has long been – weight in pounds / 2 = oz. of water / day. Caffeinated, alcoholic and many carbonated beverages have a diuretic effect and actually increase the daily fluid requirements.

One should choose pure (that would take up another article) water or high quality sport beverage in some circumstances. Unless you weigh 128 lbs., 8 glasses of water ( 8oz each) per day is not enough! Especially when the women’s average size in N. America is 14!

In cancer survivors, one of the main issues is increased toxicity due to a faulty elimination system. In these cases, you have to ” push ” a little bit harder and actually make an effort/conscious decisions to detoxify. As trivial as it sounds, water is your #1 strategy in a detoxification protocol: all the herbs and homeopathics in the world won’t help if you don’t step up and increase your water consumption.

I’ve been telling my patients for years that I’m AMAZED everyday of how many people-with all sorts of conditions-get better just by drinking more water!! Well, the Japanese have proven it now! DRINKING WATER ON AN EMPTY STOMACH It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value for all sorts of diseases as well as modern illnesses.

The water treatment had been found successful by the Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases: Body ache(including headache), cardiac problems(including fast heart beat), arthritis, epilepsy, overweight, bronchitis, asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and bladder diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

Another important aspect of drinking water on an empty stomach is that WATER SHOULD BE CONSUMED AWAY FROM FOODS: otherwise it dilutes the digestive enzymes necessary to break down foods; this leads to slowing of the transit time(time it takes from food to pass through the intestinal tract), which leads to putrefaction, therefore re-absorption of toxins into the blood stream.

You should drink water at least:

* 15 minute before a meal,
*30 minute after a light meal/snack,
* 2 hours after a starch meal and
*4 hour after a protein meal.

These times are easy to remember if you remember you need to take into consideration how long it takes for a particular food to be digested in the stomach:

* fruits and veggies take about 1/2hr.
*carbohydrate meals-1-1.5hrs.
*protein meals-2-2.5hrs.,
*combination of carbohydrate+protein-2.5-3hrs., depending on the combination…

Natural digestive enzymes in the body shouldn’t be diluted by drinking with meals.

I always get upset with the so-called “nutritionists” in weight loss centres that recommend drinking water during meals to cut down on the amount of food: this is totally wrong! And it will lead to gastro-intestinal problems later on.

By slowing down the intestines, therefore the digestive process, you are allowing more putrefaction to take place in the colon…resulting in increased reabsorption of toxins back into the blood vessels.

#1 ACTION STEP you should take on your natural path is to CALCULATE THE AMOUNT OF WATER YOU NEED FOR YOUR BODY TYPE, MEASURE IT BY PUTTING IT IN BOTTLES AND FINISH IT OFF BY THE END OF THE DAY. This takes perseverance; it is NOT as easy as it sounds, because your body is used to the continuous state of dehydration and doesn’t know any better anymore, therefore your thirst reflex is diminished.

Persevere, and like with any habit, after 21 days, you’ll be surprised how well you are doing, and how much faster your progress is towards full cancer recovery.

Are you ready to start your natural recovery to optimal health? Then I invite you to check out http://www.doctoranca.com to claim your access to my Audio Quick Start (coming soon). From Dr. Anca Martalog, N.D.- survivors coach at http://Telehealthsecrets.com

Emergency doctors are noticing more and more children coming into emergency rooms with racing hearts, sweating, feeling like they’re going to die, etc… all adult symptoms of anxiety and stress.

Common children stressors include: problems at home or school, parental conflicts, family money problems, health problems, changes to routine, distressing world events, and social problems, such as teasing and bullying.

Children often say “the morning rush hour stresses me”: I have to eat quickly, I have to get dressed fast, brush my teeth quickly, then pack my stuff!….

Academic stress or competitive sports can be healthy for children but it depends on how children manage the stressors and their sense of control. “If the stress is something over which they have no control, and that could be anything from a certain disaster to problems in the family, the results can be long-term physical and psychological health effects.

Signs that a child might be experiencing undue stress are:
” Recurring headaches, tummy aches or neck pain
” Increased irritability, sadness, panic, anger
” Trouble relaxing or sleeping
” Lethargy, daydreaming, withdrawal from activities
” Excessive energy or restlessness
” Reverting to less mature behaviour
” Nail biting, hair twisting, thumb sucking or sighing deeply
” Friend trouble
” Behavioural problems, such as biting, kicking, poor listening, restlessness, acting out, impulsiveness, poor school performance, whining, crying, and fighting.

Although there’s more research regarding the health effects of stress on adults, there’s no reason children wouldn’t experience similar effects.

What parents can do is often too simple, but due to their own stressors and busy lives, it often becomes challenging or pushed to the side:

1. Stop, look, and listen! This is one of the most effective and simplest strategies: really look at the child and seeing what they are doing, whether it’s darting eyes or raised shoulders…. and really listening to their concerns while a connection is established.

2. Help kids cope: the best defence against stress is a healthy balanced lifestyle that includes physical activity, quiet time and relaxation techniques, with a primary emphasis on affectionate parents who are good listeners.

3. Be a good role model. Parents are terrible stress models for kids. “Where’s the balance that we’re modelling for kids as we answer cell phone calls in the middle of soccer games or we bring briefcase of work on holidays?

Helping children gain a sense of control through effective problem solving and decision making are great strategies for stress management. But it’s important that parents first emulate the behaviour. Many professionals encourage parents to share their mistakes and challenges with their kids; this is an excellent and efficient way to teach them to problem solve when, for example they hear ” I blew it at work today and this is what I’m going to do to retrace my steps”

4. Play with your kids: Above all, parents need to play with their kids. “Get to know your kids and let them get to know you.” It’s the only way parents can determine if stress is a problem in their child’s life.

Some of the most important nutrients to help children cope with stress are the ones that strengthen the adrenal glands (stress glands):

” Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)-helps the adrenals function adequately
” Vitamin C-is vital for proper functioning of the adrenals
” L-Tyrosine (amino acid)-relieves excess stress put on the glands raw adrenal extract (adrenal glandular)-helps rebuild and repair the glands
” Coenzyme Q10-carries oxygen to the glands
” Multi vitamin-mineral complex-contains nutrients needed for correct functioning of the body

Naturopathic medicine offers many other therapies for reducing stress caused by the beginning of school, such as: botanical medicine, acupuncture and chinese medicine,homeopathy,etc.

And now I’d like to invite you to learn more how naturopathy can help your child recover from stress and anxiety by offering you a free access to my upcoming Tele-seminar on natural kids health: for details, go here: http://www.doctoranca.com
From: Dr. Anca Martalog, N.D -http://www.telehealthsecrets.com

The key to moving thorough a plateau is changing your current routine. Once you do an exercise for an extended period of time, your body becomes more efficient at the movements and results stall.

Continue to stimulate and challenge your body by doing different strength moves, taking a new fitness class or even changing the location of your workout. When doing weights, try replacing one movement each week or decrease the rest time between your sets. For cardio, try a different machine or alternate intensity throughout the workout. Why not ask a friend to join you for a workout to spice things up a bit? Remember, a plateau doesn’t mean your goals are unattainable. It just means your body is asking for a change.

From a health nutritional point of view, overcoming a plateau by changing and spicing up your routine translates into increased stress to the body.

One easy way to help you cope better through this phase is incorporating an adaptogen in as a daily supplement until you reach your next level of training.

Adaptogens were discovered in 1947 by the Russian scientist Dr. Nicolai Lazarev, who in fact coined the name “adaptogen”. Dr. Lazarev was also the mentor of Dr. Brekhman, who conducted extensive research on adaptogenic herbs. Dr Brekhman’s first major focus was the now well known Panax Ginseng, also called Korean or Chinese Ginseng. This worked, but unfortunately it has a few drawbacks that have since become evident. It sometimes has side effects such as causing constipation and over-excitement which for some people is too stimulating. Dr. Brakhman soon moved on to other herbs and became recognized as the world’s leading expert on adaptogens. Since then, hundreds of experimental and clinical studies on adaptogens have been done – most of them in Russia and Germany. Most of these studies have shown the outstanding stress-protective and immune system enhancing capacities of adaptogens.

You may be familiar with the names of what are now called “first-generation” adaptogens: Panax Ginseng, American Ginseng, and Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian Ginseng). But in this article I want to tell you about a unique adaptogen of the “second generation”, Rhodiola rosea (Russian Rhodiola), which is a powerful anti-aging phyto supplement with adaptogenic and anti-stress activity. In Russia, Rhodiola rosea also known as “Golden root”, has been used for centuries to cope with the cold Siberian climate and stressful life. But before describing this unusual herb, let’s say a few words about stress itself.

The main effects of adaptogens are an increased availability of energy during the day, a reduction of stressed feelings, increased endurance, greater mental alertness, and deep and restful sleep. Also, adaptogens significantly accelerate the recovery process after illness. The author of this article was ill for many years, and became weaker and weaker, despite trying a variety of medicines and supplements. Doctors could not diagnose the illness, but probably it was an autoimmune disorder, with too many symptoms to name. One day one of my friends had sent me roots of Rhodiola rosea from Moscow (Russia) and advised me to prepare Rhodiola water tea to drink. After some trial and error, I found this Siberian root worked better than anything else I had tried; and it increased the effectiveness of other supplements as well. I decided to search to find out more about this wonderful herbal adaptogen.

According to modern science, adaptogens are natural plant products that increase the body’s ability to cope with internal and external stress factors, and normalize the functions of the organism. They help maintain the stable internal environment inside the organism known as homeostasis. An important characteristic is that they are safe, possessing few known side effects.

Another natural nutrient that could be very helpful in the plateau stage is vitamin C.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that has a numerous number of biological functions; it is mostly found in high doses in brocoli , red peppers, currants, Brussels sprouts, parsley, potatoes, citrus fruit, and strawberries are good sources of vitamin C.

Some athletes say that vitamin C

” helps keep the immune system functioning optimally.

” decreases recovery time between workouts.

Vitamin C is important for connective tissue repair. Although beneficial to athletes participating in a variety of sports, vitamin C is especially important to body builders whose training causes the most connective tissue damage.

Vitamin C is also important to athletes because, as an antioxidant, it may help to reverse some of the oxidative damage that may occur from exercise. This oxidative damage, caused by free radicals, may interfere with the cells’ ability to function normally and is believed to play a role in many different health conditions, including the aging process, cancer, and heart disease.

Vitamin C promotes a healthy immune system and may help to prevent the dip in immune function that may occur right after exercise.

Placebo-controlled research, some of it double-blind, has shown that taking 400 to 3,000 mg of vitamin C per day for several days before and after intense exercise may reduce pain and speed up muscle strength recovery. However, taking vitamin C only after such exercise was not effective in another double-blind study.

In most well-controlled studies, exercise performance has not been shown to improve following supplementation with vitamin C, unless a deficiency exists, as might occur in athletes with unhealthy or irrational eating patterns.5 6 Similarly, vitamin E has not benefited exercise performance, except possibly at high altitudes. Before you try anything else, it is worth considering incorporating an adaptogen and vitamin into your supplement routine when trying to overcome a physical plateau.

In this article, you will find out about 2 natural nutrients that can help you move pass the plateau phase to the next level of fitness.

And now I’d like to invite you to click out other solutions to overcoming a physical plateau when visiting http://www.askdoctoranca.com/recommends.

One constant thing is life is change”- a wise man…. once said…
Same holds true for the human body: Everything regenerates given proper care.

They key to reversing cancer are detoxifying the body and strengthening the immune system; the best way to do so is by working with naturopathic medicine:

Improve the body’s internal resistance through preventive, natural nutrition that bolsters the immune system, therefore enhancing functionality of all cells.

If you intend to cure (= totally recover from) cancer, you must do more than just destroy the tumor; the genesis of a tumor takes years and is only a part of a larger process, which is an answer to some internal imbalance.

The GOOD NEW’s is: You can get a NEW HEALTHY body every 7 years.

Everything regenerates , given the proper nutrition:

For example, skin regenerates every 28 days; another example is liver that regenerates every 6 weeks, kidneys-every 4 weeks, and bone-every 7 years. Basically, everything in the human body has the ability to change between 28 days and 7 years.

The challenge is that the process of change needs to be maintained for long enough for all the cells to change.

The reason this process is so slow is that once a new cell is changing, the surrounding cells around it are still the same: they all need to change!

With proper nutrition, treatment, perseverance and patients, you can slowly change your body to full health and recovery.

Are you ready to start your natural recovery to optimal health? Then I invite you to check out http://www.doctoranca.com to claim your access to my Audio Quick Start(coming soon).

As a healthcare provider, many people come to me in a great deal of pain. When I investigate the cause of a patient’s pain, I consider family and personal health history, diet and physical activities, and how recent changes in daily activities could affect the patient’s symptoms. If there is an obvious relationship (such as “just started training for a marathon, and now my knees hurt”), I design a treatment plan that corresponds with any physical stress and/or imbalance.

Unfortunately, it’s rarely a straightforward plan. Most often, the patient reports that he/she woke up in pain) and there’s no clear pattern of physical activity or trauma that could have reasonably caused their injury. 1 am left to assume that the patient must have slept funny. The majority of patients experiencing this kind of mystery pain tell me this must be the cause. It didn’t hurt when they went to bed, but it sure hurts a lot after they wake up. My response to this kind of logic is the question, Does it make sense that the least physically-demanding activity during a 24-hour cycle (sleep) is the cause for the greatest discomfort during the same time period?”
When you sleep, you shift from physical activity to inactivity. As you do, the amount of energy used to fuel the body’s musculoskeletal system is redirected to other bodily functions like digestion, repair and rejuvenation. Just like a busy office building, once all the businessmen leave at the end of the day, the janitorial staff moves in to prepare the building for the next day of business. This is the opposite of damaging.
If it’s not a case of sleeping funny, what could be causing the pain when the patient wakes up? When you go to sleep, only your conscious mind relaxes. The subconscious mind keeps humming along, sometimes more actively at night than during the day. The subconscious mind is a much more complicated information processor than the conscious mind; it processes millions of bits of information per second, all designed to keep the human machine safe, functional and coordinated. The conscious mind, on the other hand, processes only hundreds of information bits per second, and is mostly concerned with one idea at a time. For the mind, sleep is not necessarily the time for rest.
What happens if, during the day, you ignore more painful or problematic issues, trying to keep them “out of sight, out of mind’? Do the problems go away? Nope. However, as you shut off your coping mechanisms when you go to sleep, your subconscious mind shifts into overdrive as it explores your problems, trying find a solution. As you struggle with difficult life is- sues throughout the night, you may end up feeling un-rested in the morning, even like you’ve been hit by a truck. The problem is that you were the only one doing the driving.
Internalized stress (mental and/or emotional) is more likely the cause of pain, illness and disease than all other causative agents (physical and! or chemical) put together. Patients’ pain shows me this, loud and clear. A few carefully posed questions, combined with a little knowledge about the mind/body connection, usually reveal the truth.
The first step to figuring out what caused the pain is to check the time- lines of your symptoms. When the symptoms first appeared, what was going on in your life? Were you dealing with anything particularly stressful? Did you experience any significant conflict with a loved one, or someone who is a major influence in your life? If so, this is probably the trigger for the symptoms. Address the issue as quickly as possible, so that you don’t have to keep the negativity of the situation in your mind — and consequently in your body, too.
If the symptoms have been recurring, or slowly building, it may be difficult to remember when they first began. If this is the case, it is significant to look at the location of pain for the clues to what’s bothering you. Carolyn Myss’ Anatomy of the Spirit, or Louise Hay’s Heal Your Body are two books that discuss different body parts and their relationship to mental! Emotional issues.
Once pain is in the body it’s in the body. While you are working to figure out your issues, get help for the body, too. Don’t ignore the pain. While you’re on the mend physically, ask yourself what the pain may be trying to tell you — is there something significant that needs to be taken care of in your life? You’ll be amazed how quickly the body settles down once you start paying attention, and responding to your needs.

If DHA is deficient and these receptors are made from other inferior oils- such as trans fats found in supermarket oils, baked books, bottled salad dressings and vegetable shortening- the receptors will not function properly, contributing to an epidemic of attention deficit, depression and other mental disorders.

In spring, alder, birch, oak, maple elm and poplar trees exacerbate symptoms. In May, grasses aggravate allergic folks and July begins ragweed season.

Weather and allergy season

Heavier than usual rains this year have encouraged the growth of allergy-causing trees and grasses. These plants depend on wind and temperature fluctuations i a to spread their spores, and concentrations of airborne pollen peak between 5 to 10 am. In wet, cool weather, , pollen doesn’t move around as much, so allergies are not as bad, but as it gets warmer and drier it’s easier for spores to travel, elevating pollen counts. In the cooler north) pollinating season starts later, while in warmer  climates, pollination is year-round. Allergy season is getting longer, affected by global weather changes; ragweed flowering season is longer and extends further north.

ALLERGY CONTROL

-         Keep windows closed at night

-         Use air conditioning to clean, cool and dry the air

-         Stay indoors when pollen or mould level reports are high

-         Don’t mow lawns or rake leaves it stirs up pollen and moulds

Mould allergies

Moulds are everywhere, especially in damp areas abundant with soil, vegetation and rot- ting wood. These tiny mushroom-like fungi have no stems, roots or leaves and their spores float in the air like pollen. Outdoor mould spores increase with rising spring temperatures, peaking from July to October and year-round on the west coast. It’s helpful to know the pollen count in your living area and when you are traveling.
Treatments range from over-the-counter antihistamines to prescription nasal and eye drops. In some cases, allergy shots or immunotherapy may be required. For asthma and allergy sufferers, maximize control with the variety of inhalers and oral medications.

Dr. Maria Shapiro MDCM, CCFP, MHSc, FRCP(C), FCFP, NCMP, is an Associate Professonal,’ University of Toronto, Department of Family and Community Medicine; NAMS Credentialed Menopause Practitioner; CTV’S Medical Consultant on Canada AM and the Editor of Parents Canada.